Financial wellness

The recent recession caused Americans to face some hard economic realities. As the economy continues to recover, more Americans are taking their lives off hold as fewer are being forced to delay going to college, getting married or having kids because of financial concerns. A new survey found that the number of American adults that

Employees want to improve their financial literacy and reduce the stress that they experience due to personal financial issues. Employers know that they have the ability to offer financial wellness programs and that these programs will provide multiple benefits to workers and the corporation alike. Agreeing on these facts could lead to the conclusion that

When I talk to employers about financial wellness, heads nod in unison and there is agreement on the fundamental concepts. Employees with less financial stress are healthier, more productive, stay longer and cost the company less money. So where does the conversation break down between we all agree this is a great idea and getting a

A new report prepared by RTI International for the National Center for Education Statistics provides important insights about rising student debt and its consequences for students who graduated from college during the Great Recession. The study details a variety of post-college outcomes for students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2007-08, reflecting graduates’ perceptions

How do interest rates work? What is the best way to get a handle on paying off debt? What are the basic principles of long-term investing in stocks and bonds? If your employees are unsure of how best to answer questions like these, they’re not alone, according to a study by the FINRA Foundation. In fact, the

The #MeToo movement has shed light on the gender gaps that exist in wages and representation in executive suites across industries. But there’s another, even larger gender gap that doesn’t get as much attention: the wealth gap, according to a new report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Age Wave, a consulting firm focused

Financial wellness is a hot topic but employers and plan sponsors need do more than have a conversation. They have to realize that a worker with serious financial problems is not as productive as they should be and may not retire on time. Plus, moving from just talking about employees’ financial worries and creating a

For many people, tax season can feel a lot like Christmas morning. With more than 70% of U.S. taxpayers expecting to receive some sort of refund this year, according to IRS, that means Americans have essentially three choices to make with the extra cash on hand: save it, spend it or pay down debt. Chris Whitlow, CEO of Edukate, a workplace

Researchers set out to see how financial socialization from three different sources affects life outcomes and well-being in young adults. The three sources they looked at were the young adults' parents, the young adults' romantic partner and the young adults themselves. According to the findings, young adults' own financial behaviors, unsurprisingly, had the most impact

Everyone who's into managing his or her personal finances with the help of an app has heard about Mint, which currently ranks No. 24 among all free apps in the Finance category that can be downloaded from the Apple iOS Store. To offer you a couple of alternatives, I would like to introduce you to other

Spend an afternoon doing mental health research with Annie Harper, PhD and you might find yourself checking out the prices at a local rent-to-own store, helping a client pull his credit report, or listening as Harper speaks on the phone, convincing a student loan collection agency to restructure someone’s debt. “Some of the things we

When it comes to health, happiness, and well-being, American communities did not fare well in 2016 and 2017 compared with previous years. Those were the top findings from Gallup’s and Sharecare’s State of American Well-Being 2017 Community Well-Being Rankings, which were released today. The report is part of the annual Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index series that measures and tracks wellness

Employers are taking steps to improve the financial well-being of their workforces – but there’s evidence that some of their efforts could actually be creating more financial stress for workers. A new report from the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) notes that move toward consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) may be

For years, salon owner Luke Huffstutter, of Portland, Ore., wanted to offer his employees a way to save for retirement. Costs were too steep for the small company, though, and few employees took the initiative to set up 401(k) plans on their own. But last summer, Oregon launched a retirement savings program that automatically enrolls

Financial wellness has become a buzz phrase in the last few years. For employers, it refers to anything that supports the financial security of their employees and often involves a move from narrow benefit packages to wider and more flexible programmes of benefits and education. A host of recent research has shown the impact of

More than two-fifths (45%) of UK-based employee respondents have not made any financial calculations to understand their retirement needs, according to research by Mercer. Its Healthy, wealthy and work-wise report, which surveyed 7,000 adults and 600 senior decision makers from private and public sector organisations based across 12 countries in seven regions, also found that 79% of global employee respondents

Last year, 2017, was the year of employee wellness, with more company leaders embracing the concept in pursuit of higher levels of productivity, staff retention and increased profits. However, while physical and mental wellbeing are becoming a key business focus, financial wellness should also be a priority. Recent CIPD research revealed one in four workers believe money

Technology advances in financial services continue to soar to new heights. They are a social utility and are creating new frontiers that impact sending, receiving and managing monetary transactions of all types. The user experience in payment transactions has greatly improved in functionality, design, and number of services. One of the things driving these advances

Retirement savings plans have been in the news lately as Republicans eyed limits on the maximum pretax 401(k) contributions as a way to fund the cuts outlined in their tax proposal. The 401(k) plan has over the last two decades become the dominant way that Americans save for retirement, replacing the traditional pension. But employers

For a lot of American workers, dealing with personal finances is a lot like the anxiety they feel about going to the dentist: they know it would be better to go and get it over with but the fear of what they may find out can be overwhelming. Stress about money pervades every age, income